title: Incidence and risk factors of falls among the elderly in the District of Colombo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the incidence and risk factors of falls among the elderly in the District of Colombo.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incidence of falls was assessed by a community based descriptive study with prospective follow up. Risk factors for falls were assessed by a nested case control study. Participants above 65 years residing in 40 Grama Niladhari Divisions in the Colombo district (n=1200) were assessed for falls and followed up for four months. Those who had falls were selected as cases (n=151), while two controls per case were selected from others.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tests for gait problems, disability, cognitive impairment and vision.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence rate of falls was 492 per 1000 person years (95% CI 448-536). Risk factors for falls identified in the multivariate analysis were falls in the previous year (OR 4.67), high disability level (OR 2.04) and high house risk level (OR 1.68).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high incidence of falls among the elderly reported in this study and the preventable risk factors identify / indicate the necessity and feasibility of their prevention.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. dranaweera90@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Ranaweera
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fonseka
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: PattiyaArachchi
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Siribaddana
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology